Final EIS released for Ledcor Maui’s South Maui Properties

A final environmental impact statement has been released for Ledcor Maui’s South Maui Properties. The Final EIS includes seven vacant in-fill parcels within Wailea’s 50-year-old resort master plan and a neighboring vacant lot in Kīhei.

A mix of single family and multi-family residential communities are proposed for eight properties, which have a permitted density of over 1,991 residential units (or up to 2,137 residential units with permitted Planned Development bonuses). Ledcor Maui LP is proposing an estimated total of 925-975 units and will be developing comprehensive plans for these remaining owned and leased infill parcels in the Kīhei and Wailea Resort communities.

The document notes that required workforce housing, park dedication, and related infrastructure improvements will also be provided and otherwise satisfied. The plans will also include Ledcor’s fair share portion of the improvements to Piʻilani Highway at Kilohana Drive.

The Final EIS (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2) spans over 6,000 pages and reflects the input gathered from the public in order to assess the potential environmental, cultural, and socio-economic impacts and the proposed mitigations.  

Ledcor reports: “this an important step following months of rigorous analysis and thorough review of agency and public comments, reinforcing long-term commitments to environmental and cultural stewardship.”

“The Final EIS is the result of an intensive process, integrating feedback from agencies, community members, and experts to evaluate the proposed projects and balances growth with sustainability,” said Eric Gerlach, Senior Vice President at Ledcor Maui. “This comprehensive document expresses our commitments to work toward resilient, high-quality, and environmentally sensitive residential neighborhoods that integrate workforce housing into the Wailea Resort and to be forward thinking with community planning and resource conservation. With the EIS process starting back in 2022, the Final EIS will inform our future site planning, building design, landscaping and restoration programs, cultural awareness, and our general approach to community building in South Maui.”

According to the developer, key elements of the Final EIS include:

• Workforce Housing Commitment: The Final EIS evaluates various alternatives for providing workforce housing, including a commitment to build workforce housing in Wailea. This reflects an important advancement in bringing housing for workers to the resort area.
• Cultural and Historical Considerations: Incorporating input from cultural practitioners and the public to protect and honor the heritage of the region, including commitments to preservation areas and interpretive trails that uplift the moʻolelo of the region. These commitments include continued new resident kuleana training and preservation stewardship protocols, as were adopted in Ledcor Maui’s first project in Paeahu. 
• Environmental Analyses: Based on comments on the Draft EIS, additional analyses were completed regarding natural resources, including but not limited to water source, beach access, sea level rise, coastal water quality, native landscaping and ecosystem restoration. Ledcor Maui is also committing to LEED Silver certification for all housing types, including workforce housing. 
• Long-Term Residential: Only residential uses are being considered. Although permitted for some of the parcels, commercial and short-term rental uses are not included in the projects. The proposed residential communities are consistent with the Maui Island Plan and both the current and proposed Community Plans. 
• Infrastructure and Traffic Planning: Detailed assessments of current and future traffic and pedestrian improvements to enhance safety and mitigate traffic impacts.
• Community Engagement: Draft EIS public comments that express local perspectives and concerns have been incorporated into Ledcor Maui’s Final EIS. Initial public comments date back to December 2022 when Ledcor held its EIS Public Notice scoping meeting.

“We appreciate the valuable input from the community, stakeholders, and experts who have contributed to this process,” said Clifford Nae‘ole, Ledcor Maui’s new cultural advisor. “We remain committed to ongoing collaborations with Maui’s cultural leaders as we move forward. The detailed work on this document reflects our firm belief that resources are best used to do good work and support important community initiatives.” 

Incorporating the comments of the Draft EIS, the publication of the Final EIS meets the requirements of the HRS Chapter 343 Environmental Review Process. Upon acceptance of a Final EIS, separate Special Management Area and Planned Development permit processes will then need to be undertaken during which the public will have further opportunities to review and comment on project specific plans. 

• A Draft EIS was published in February 2024.
• The Final EIS is contained in two volumes here: Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.
• More information can be found online at https://ledcormaui.com/.